Driveshafts (greasable or solid)?

Whitarmy

New member
I got solid to be overkill based on what I was reading. You still need to grease them, you just have to use a needle attachment for the double carden. But I have to drop the shafts to service them. Hopefully others will chime in but from what I hear on here the greasable ones are more simple to service. No real good answer for which is the best option from what I’ve seen. Seems to be all opinions


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jesse3638

Hooked
Solid u-joints are just that, solid. There are no zerks, flat or standard. Now the double Cardan is something different. That may or may not have a zerk. My 1310 JE Reel front did not have one while my rear did. It started chirping at me around 25k. When I had it rebuilt I had it rebuilt with solid u-joints. Also you can use a needle fitting on a standard zerk just take a little finesse to get the grease to go in.

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I’m sure others will chime in but my feeling is you should be having your driveshafts serviced/ inspected or rebuilt once a year if you play off-road. Greasable drive shafts vs non-greasable really comes down to the question of, how good are you about your maintenance and do you have the time/tools/patience to hit ALL of your grease fittings every couple oil changes (more often if you get wet a lot or really rack up miles) if so then it’s really not much of a debate and really just preference. The solid ones have longer lasting grease but that’s arguable depending on who you ask and regardless, having them serviced by a drive line shop once a year should be part of your routine no matter what.
 

jesse3638

Hooked
I greased mine every oil change, 4k miles. It is a pain to have to drop the drive shaft to get the needle fitting in there. Fortunately the 1350 rear I put in I don't have to anymore. I do have to use a needle fitting to hit the standard zerk because the regular fitting won't fit. It's nice to simply crawl under there and inspect the front though. Yes I do agree on regularly having it rebuilt or at least inspect by a deadline shop annually.

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A.J.

Active Member
Solids. Fuck greasing them replace as needed. Inspected every oil change for movement. Run them until the needle bearings start going bad and then replace them. You will replace the singles at the pinion most. The double cardian side lasts longer because it sees less water than the bottoms.

Or get greasable ones and service oil change intervals. They will last longer as long as you don’t break them.


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USMC Wrangler

New member
Solid u-joints are just that, solid. There are no zerks, flat or standard. Now the double Cardan is something different. That may or may not have a zerk. My 1310 JE Reel front did not have one while my rear did. It started chirping at me around 25k. When I had it rebuilt I had it rebuilt with solid u-joints. Also you can use a needle fitting on a standard zerk just take a little finesse to get the grease to go in.

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I just installed a J.E. Reel 1310 on the front today. The axle side has zerks but the double cardan at the t-case is solid, fwiw.

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JeepinLife

Caught the Bug
I grease mine just about every oil change. Instead of using the frustrating, stab through your finger needle I just unscrew the flush zerk and use a rubber tipped gun fitting that fills the grease quick and clean. Then just screw the zerk back in


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RCVRY

New member
I think it depends how much torque you’re laying into it. A stock JK should be fine with greasable ujoints depending how you hook up the tires. I’d rather bust a u-joint than other driveline components. Unless I’m building up the whole driveline from the engine back I’d stick with the ease of maintenance.


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Mountainjk10

Caught the Bug
I think it depends how much torque you’re laying into it. A stock JK should be fine with greasable ujoints depending how you hook up the tires. I’d rather bust a u-joint than other driveline components. Unless I’m building up the whole driveline from the engine back I’d stick with the ease of maintenance.


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That’s a good point, and I’ll consider it.


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